1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiation imaging control apparatus that receives a predefined operational instruction for radiation imaging to output a control signal for the radiation imaging and displays radiological examination information. The invention also relates to an operation control method of the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, digitization and size-reduction of radiation imaging devices have been in progress and medical carts provided with a semiconductor radiation image detector and a console having a monitor for displaying a radiation image obtained by the radiation image detector are proposed as described, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 2003-334185 and 2010-119485. Such medical carts allow a radiation image obtained in a patient room or the like to be displayed on the monitor for verification on the spot.
The console has functions to manage and register personal data of patients, to view radiation images of patients, and to enlarge the obtained image other than the function to display the obtained image.
At the visiting radiation imaging site, however, the monitor of the console is exposed to many unrelated persons. Radiological examination information displayed on the monitor may include personal information of the patient so that sufficient care must be taken to protect the personal information.
In a case where a radiologist visits alone for taking a radiation image of a patient, the radiologist needs to concentrate on positioning the patient for the radiation imaging and can not pay attention to the security of information displayed on the monitor of the console, thereby causing the information to be unintentionally peeped by unrelated bystanders or to be altered with harmful intent.
Consequently, in order to prevent the leakage of personal information, a mobile radiation imaging device that allows switching, by the operation of the operator, between display and non-display of personal information is proposed as described, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-043273.
The device described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-43273, however, requires the operator to purposely switch the display and if the switching is omitted, the personal information is leaked after all.
The medical cart may be used not only at the visiting medical site but also in a radiation imaging room. In such a case, it is not necessary to restrict the display contents as no unrelated person is present in the room other than authorized personnel and the operator needs to switch the display again.
In view of the circumstances described above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a radiation imaging control apparatus capable of restricting the display of personal information at a visiting medical site while allowing required examination information to be fully displayed at a predetermined location, such as a radiation imaging room or the like, without requiring an extra effort of the operator. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an operation control method of the radiation imaging control apparatus.